Northern Ireland Opera – Cast and Creatives announced for ‘Eugene Onégin’ September 14,17,19,21 in the Grand Opera House, Belfast.
Based on Alexander Pushkin’s classic novel in verse, one of the most lyrical and beautiful pieces of literature adapted for opera, this stunning production will be directed by Northern Ireland Opera’s Artistic Director Cameron Menzies (Nominated Best Director for Into The Woods Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards 2022 and Winner of three Paris Short Film Awards for the film Old Friends and Other Days).Cast
- Eugene Onégin: Yuriy Yurchuk
- Tatyana: Mary McCabe
- Vladimir Lensky: Norman Reinhardt
- Olga: Sarah Richmond
- Madame Larina: Carolyn Dobbin
- Filipevna: Jenny Bourke
- Monsieur Triquet: Aaron O’Hare
- Prince Gremin: Niall Anderson
Performing in the principal female roles of Tatyana, Madame Larina, Olga and Filipevna are Mary McCabe (Soprano), Carolyn Dobbin (Mezzo Soprano), Sarah Richmond (Mezzo Soprano) and Jenny Bourke (Mezzo Soprano) respectively.
Notably, this production will be Bourke’s and Richmond’s main stage debuts with Northern Ireland Opera while McCabe makes her operatic principal mainstage debut in the role of Tatyana following a long relationship with the company covering Violetta in La Traviata 2022 and her acclaimed performance in the one-woman opera La Voix Humaine, Poulenc.
Mary comments: ‘It really is a dream come true to sing the role of Tatyana – especially with the company that has been a constant support throughout my career. I’m so excited to discover this beautiful character with our director Cameron Menzies and bring alive this sumptuous music with conductor Dominic Limburg.’
Baritone Yuriy Yurchuk, who performed in the company’s production of La Bohèmein 2021 and in 2022 with La Traviata – the Grand Opera House’s fastest selling-opera ever – returns in this titular role. Yurchuk is fast becoming widely associated with this opera having performed it most recently at the New National Theatre in Tokyo earlier this year and at the Royal Danish Opera Denmark and La Monnaie, Brussels in 2023.
Tenor Norman Reinhardt (Magic Flute, ENO) is cast as Onégin’s friend turned rival Vladimir Lensky, Aaron O’Hare (Tenor) is cast as Monsieur Triquet and Niall Anderson (Baritone) as Prince Gremin. Northern Ireland Opera’s 35-strong locally based chorus will join this production to present some of the most rousing and well-loved chorus pieces in the operatic canon.
Creatives
Conductor: Dominic Limburg
Director: Cameron Menzies
Set Designer: Niall McKeever
Costume Designer: Gillian Lennox
Lighting Designer: Kevin Treacy
Movement Director: Jennifer Rooney
Wigs and Make-Up Designer: Nuala Campbell
The creative talents reuniting once more to work with the company include Northern Irish Set Designer Niall McKeever (Tosca, La Traviata, Into The Woods for NI Opera), in this fourth collaboration, rounding this exceptional creative team is Costume Designer Gillian Lennox (Tosca for NI Opera, Pinocchio, Dr Scroggy’s War, Good Vibrations, Alice: The Musical, Double Cross, Rough Girls, Dark of the Moon, Shirley Valentine at The Lyric, Belfast),
Lighting Designer Kevin Treacy (Into The Woods, La Bohème, La Traviata for NI Opera); Movement Director Jennifer Rooney (Into The Woods, Old Friends and Other Days, The Juniper Tree for NI Opera) and Wigs and Make-up Designer Nuala Campbell (La Bohème, Into The Woods, La Traviata, Old Friends and Other Days, The Salon Series for NI Opera).
You can find full details, biographies and booking links on our website via the link below.
Both our last productions at the Grand Opera House, Belfast have sold out so don’t delay in booking your preferred seat/night!
‘CHORUS!’ at The Ulster Hall.
Come and experience the power of an opera chorus in full voice! The critically-acclaimed NI Opera Chorus are coming to The Ulster Hall on 18 May at 7.30pm with an exciting concert featuring opera choruses by composers including Verdi, Puccini, Wagner, Purcell, Tchaikovsky and John Adams.
Our chorus are selected from open auditions and spend a number of months working with regular and guest coaches in the build-up to our main stage production in the Grand Opera House and this is your first opportunity to hear them perform together in 2024!
Tickets are £20/£15 concessions but we also have a group rate of £5 per head for youth/community/music groups plus a limited number of complimentary tickets for arts sector workers.
You can find out all about the concert and what to expect in the link below along with details of how to book or to apply for the discounted/free tickets.
‘Morning Melodies’ at The Studio, Grand Opera House on 29 May at 11am.
Don’t miss out on the last few tickets for our magical musical morning performance of arias, duets and song in The Studio at the Grand Opera House.
This is also an opportunity to come and hear soprano Mary McCabe, ‘Tatyana’ in our upcoming production of ‘Eugene Onégin’, perform in a 50 minute concert of beautiful repertoire in The Studio at the Grand Opera House. Mary will be joined by tenor Gabriel Seawright and pianist Tristan Russcher and you can expect to hear arias and duets from well-known operas and some surprises too.
Whether you are a fully-fledged opera fan or want to try something new, come and experience some beauty and escapism with Northern Ireland Opera in a relaxed and enjoyable event. Tea and coffee will be available to purchase before and after the performance.
Tickets are £15 plus booking fee.
Part of the Grand Opera House Studio Series.
‘Melodies from the Musicals’ at The Playhouse
The final two ‘Salon Series’ events of this season are coming to The Playhouse in Derry/Londonderry across a weekend next month.
On 25 May from 8pm, ‘Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered’: Derry’s own Wendy Ferguson (soprano), Ruth McGinley (pianist) and Peter Doherty (bass), with John Gillen on drumkit will be performing songs from the golden age of musical theatre. Expect to hear music by composers including Gershwin, Sondheim, Rodgers and Hammerstein, and Cole Porter
On 26 May from 3pm, book to see ‘The Lost Boy’ – a captivating performance of works from cabaret, music theatre, folk and contemporary songs performed by vocalist Conor Quinn with a small ensemble band.
Each show is £20 but there’s a special offer of a £30 ticket to see both shows too. Find out more in the link below.
Music and Creative Skills Workshops
Northern Ireland Opera is holding a week of music and creative skills workshops for secondary school music students from 10-14 June.
This unique educational experience is tailored for senior music students and repertoire will include works by Tchaikovsky, Mozart, Humperdinck, Puccini, Bizet, Verdi and Britten.
We are delivering a week of educational exploration, where students will have the opportunity to deepen their musical understanding and gain insights from industry professionals in the collaborative art form of opera. Schools are invited to attend one day or all five – the final day of the week there will be an opportunity for students to perform to an invited audience of friends and family.
You can find out all about what to expect on each day of the outreach week in the link below. Places are free but limited so don’t delay if you know a school who might be interested in taking part!
If you would like to find out more about our schools outreach programme or future opportunities, please contact outreach@niopera.com
